2025 Ch Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol

DUE OCT/NOV 2028

Deep purple-hued, the 2025 Château Pavie Macquin is a blend of 78% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon that will spend 16-20 months in 40% new oak. I was able to taste this on multiple occasions, and it's clear this is an incredibly concentrated yet fresher-styled 2025 from this château. Exotic blue fruits, crushed stone, liquid violets, and gun smoke all define the aromatics, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a deep, concentrated mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a beautiful finish. This terroir always yields a very fresh, mineral-driven style of wine, but this brings a lot of acidity, hitting 14.1% alcohol with a very low pH of 3.23 from 30 hectoliters per hectare. It reminds me slightly of the 2016.

94-96 points Jeb Dunnuck

94-95 points James Suckling

93-95 points Vinous

95 points Decanter

92 points Jane Anson